Premake is a command line build configuration tool that reads project definitions written in Lua and generates project files for toolsets like Visual Studio, Xcode, and GNU Make.
The tool solves the problem of maintaining build configurations across multiple platforms and IDEs. Rather than manually creating and updating project files for each target environment, developers write a single Lua script that describes their project structure, dependencies, and build settings. Premake then interprets this script and generates the appropriate native project files or build system configurations for whichever toolsets the project targets.
Premake suits projects that need to support multiple build environments or IDEs without duplicating build logic. It is particularly valuable for cross-platform development where teams want a single source of truth for build configuration. The tool's use of Lua as its scripting language provides flexibility for complex build scenarios while remaining accessible to developers unfamiliar with specialized build languages.
The project maintains an active development cycle with regular commits and a structured contribution process documented in its contributing guide. The maintainers actively solicit community contributions and have established a sponsorship program to support ongoing development. The project operates under a BSD license and maintains continuous integration workflows to validate changes across the codebase.
